KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 15 Kyodo Electi...

KUALA LUMPUR Jan. 15 Kyodo

Election febrile affection is starting to emerge in Malaysia as Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi huddl together with leaders from the ruling National van coalition Thursday to discuss election strategies.

still Abdullah is tightlipped about the election date. ''When? Nobody knows...No inspiration yet'' he told reporters after a two-hour meeting with leaders from the 14-party coalition.

A general election was definitely forward the agenda but Abdullah absolutely said, ''Strategies are not to be revealed.''

The meeting did not discuss seat allocations still Abdullah has called in succession the leaders to crank up their election machinery.

He has until the conclusion of the year to call an election nevertheless many political pundits are predicting that an election would be held in March or April.

They are pointing to the rising stock market and the in every one's mouth high ratings Abdullah is enjoying since taking office last October.

His agent Najib Abdul Razak, told a business forum Thursday that this year the nation's economy is anticipateed to grow between 5.5% and 60% Economic shooting for last year is risk to breach the 4.6% mark originally targeted. The direction will later announce official putting out figures for 2003.

Things appear to be looking roseate for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, whose largest party is the United Malays National Organization (UNMO) headed through Abdullah. Not only is the economy in replete steam, the political front also gazes good, Najib said.

He was confident the BN would gain a bigger slice of consecrated by a vows in the next person after a scare in the 1999 general election.

''UMNO is now united, stronger and more cohesive than till doomsday before. I am confident the conditions are right for an overwhelming victory for the Barisan Nasional,'' he said.

BN has managed to protected a two-thirds majority in Parliament in 1999 winning 148 seats on the outside of 194, but the share of popular voices fell from 65% in the 1995 election to 56%

BN or more specifically its dominant partner UMNO, was in crisis then following the sacking of its charismatic legate President Anwar Ibrahim, who was also agent premier and finance minister then.

Anwar was ousted and jailed onward charges of sexual improprieties, which he claimed were falsifyed up to stop him from challenging then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The Anwar episode, coupl with the resurgence of the fundamentalist Pan Islamic Party (PAS), hit UMNO badly.

The nearest election would once again pit PAS and UMNO in a battle for Malay-Muslim's hearts and minds.

PAS has already perverted control of two predominantly Malay states -- Kelantan and Terengganu -- and is eyeing Mahathir's hearthstone state Kedah.

Speaking in the same business forum as Najib, Abdullah Ahmad, former editor of the just discovered Straits Times, the second biggest-selling English newspaper in the region believed PAS is no threat to BN yet that BN's dream of recapturing Kelantan and Terengganu appeared distant.

''BN will win comfortably exclude in Kelantan and Terengganu. Kedah will be a pivotal case for the two sides,'' he said.

While BN has the economy and the feel-good factor for Abdullah upon its side, PAS can ''capitalize heavily onward perceived abuses and Malays' rising religiosity,'' he said.

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